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Imagine having the fascinating world of Biblical archaeology at your fingertips whenever—and wherever—you want. Thanks to modern technology, you can mine the vast archaeology and Bible resources in the archives of the Biblical Archaeology Society (BAS) Library, spanning over 40 years of groundbreaking discoveries and insights from the lands of the Bible.

Join the BAS Library—the most comprehensive and easy-to-use online resource for Biblical archaeology.

The BAS Library provides access to our extensive repository, covering over 40 years of leading scholarship from Biblical Archaeology Review (1975–present), Bible Review (1985–2005) and Archaeology Odyssey (1998–2006), as well as video, books, special collections and savings on BAS products.

I admit I’m biased, but I sincerely believe that the BAS Library with its powerful search engine will be valuable not only to those interested in archaeology and the Bible, ancient Near Eastern civilizations and religions, but also to Classical history and anthropology enthusiasts.

BAS bridges the worlds of archaeology and the Bible through its flagship magazine, Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR), as well as through Bible Review and Archaeology Odyssey. You can now have online access to all editions of these magazines through the BAS Library at the special limited-time price of $29.97 per year.

For over 40 years, we’ve been striving to bring the fascinating world that connects archaeology with the Bible to our hundreds of thousands of readers in plain language. In addition to thousands of articles in the BAS Library, you’ll also receive illuminating and entertaining online books based on a Smithsonian Institution lecture series and videos featuring Dead Sea Scroll experts.

Additionally, the BAS Library offers your favorite Bible and archaeology magazines organized into carefully selected Special Collections on popular topics, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the historical Jesus and the Temple Mount. And with a BAS Library subscription, you’ll receive 10% off BAS products and monthly member specials.

Discover the Archaeology of the Bible

Excavations in Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and the surrounding region reveal a great deal about the world of the Bible. Delve into the magazine archives to join leading scholars and archaeologists as they answer your questions about the ancient world and bring Biblical figures and places to life for you.

Some of the archaeology and Bible resources that you’ll find in the BAS library include:

Harvard professor Lawrence Stager describing his excavations at the Philistine city of Ashkelon, including the discovery of a rare silver calf that many scholars believe is a prototype of the golden calf the Israelites fashioned at the foot of Mt. Sinai at the very moment Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments.

A recent excavation in Syria exposing a temple that is almost a duplicate of Solomon’s Temple as described in the Bible, substantiating the Biblical account not only of its architecture, but also of the Phoenician architects who worked with Solomon to design it.

Exciting discoveries about the world of Jesus and early Christianity. Read about the recent excavation of the Pool of Siloam that shows us where Jesus cured the blind man, learn about Roman crucifixion and the tomb in which the historical Jesus was buried, and understand how Jews and other cultures viewed Jesus’ teachings.

Subscribe to the Biblical Archaeology Society Library at a Special Price

Whether you want to prepare a sermon or deepen your understanding of scripture or history, the BAS library is the most comprehensive, powerful and easy-to-use online resource for Biblical archaeology available today. The Biblical Archaeology Society is a widely acclaimed, nonprofit organization known for helping to unlock the mysteries of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

For just $29.97 per year, the BAS Library provides ready access to our extensive repository, covering 40 years of leading scholarship. Thanks to the powerful Boolean search function, BAS Library quickly and easily locates articles and images by topic, word or phrase, subject, author and issue from all BAS publications. These include Biblical Archaeology Review (1975–present), Bible Review (1985–2005), Archaeology Odyssey(1998–2006).

The BAS Library features:

Over 7,000 searchable articles by world-renowned experts

Over 22,000 lavish color photographs, maps, diagrams and drawings

Links to related articles, footnotes and the Revised Standard Version Bible

Join the BAS Library for a complete set of archaeology and Bible resources

BAS bridges the worlds of archaeology and the Bible through its flagship magazine, Biblical Archaeology Review, as well as through Bible Review and Archaeology Odyssey. Take advantage of over 40 years of scholarship with the BAS Library.

Archaeology and Bible Resources in the BAS Library

Magazines

Our flagship magazine, Biblical Archaeology Review(BAR), is unique in providing information about the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience eager to better understand the world of the Bible. Covering both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament since 1975, BAR is the world’s leading Biblical archaeology magazine.

Written by top archaeologists and scholars, BAR illuminates the Biblical text, answering—and asking—new questions in each issue. No wonder each lavishly illustrated, easy-to-understand issue is read by more than a quarter-million people!

Our second magazine, Bible Review (BR), provides first-rate, reader-friendly Biblical scholarship. Bible Review covers both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, illuminating the text with the latest insights of modern Biblical research. A nondenominational magazine, BR airs a wide range of issues and viewpoints. Each magazine was beautifully illustrated with masterful artwork and scenes from the Bible lands.

The archived editions of Archaeology Odyssey lead you on a colorful, exciting and informative journey to the ancient roots of the Western world. Archaeology Odyssey appeals to readers’ sense of beauty, to their feelings of wonderment, to their longing for adventure and travel—and to their conviction that the past has many stories yet to tell.

All the Biblical Archaeology Society magazines have been fully and professionally indexed. By selecting any topic in the BAS Library, you will be presented with all articles listed under that topic. If you don’t know what topic to search for, a complete list of topics is included.

BAS Books Based on a Smithsonian Institution Lecture Series

With your BAS Library membership, you will receive four popular online books for free. These books have been chosen as texts at major American universities such as Harvard, Brown and Johns Hopkins:

Were the ancient Israelites really the first to worship a single god, or did the Egyptians beat them to the punch? This is an exciting, provocative and readily understandable discussion of monotheism in its various aspects. Aspects of Monotheism presents the rich and variegated views of four distinguished scholars on different facets of what is a rich and variegated concept—the idea of one universal God.

This book offers readers exciting, new ways to deepen your appreciation and understanding of biblical texts. Four outstanding scholars look closely at a number of prominent women in the Bible, including Eve, Miriam and Mary Magdalene, as well as the men to whom they relate.

Where did the people who became the nation of Israel come from? And when? By what process did they become a nation? What were their religious roots? How did they find their God Yahweh? These are just some of the issues discussed by several of today’s most famous experts in the field.

The Search for Jesus

by Stephen Patterson, Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan

This book presents scholarly discussions on the birth, life and crucifixion of the historical Jesus. What does research on the historical Jesus have to do with Christian faith? What does the term “Son of Man” mean? Have scholars been looking for the wrong Jesus? What is the evidence for Jesus’ existence outside the Bible?

I was fortunate to host a series of informal interviews with five prominent Dead Sea Scrolls scholars. I discuss the intriguing personalities behind early scroll scholarship, many of whom were controversial. Listen as Weston Fields, George Brooke, James Charlesworth, Sidnie White Crawford and Joseph Fitzmyer share their stories of the scrolls’ history and impact on Old and New Testament scholarship.

You’ll also have access to several video lectures by world-renowned master teachers giving personal presentations on the latest on key issues in Biblical studies and archaeology. They cover such topics as “The Archaeology of Jewish Christianity” and “Isaiah in the Dead Sea Scrolls.”

Special Collections

While the Biblical Archaeology Society Library is completely searchable by topic, author, title and keyword, we have also put together a number of unique “Special Collections” that allow you to browse a selection of relevant articles on popular topics in one place. Take this opportunity to access excellent scholarship on specific topics, easily and quickly.

Contributors to the BAS Library

You’ll get the story directly from the world-renowned archaeologists and scholars who reveal the treasures of the past, examine liturgical texts and ancient documents, and research Biblical people and cultures. We are fortunate to feature such esteemed authors in the BAS Library as Gabriel Barkay, Amnon Ben-Tor, James Charlesworth, John Dominic Crossan, Trude Dothan, Israel Finkelstein, Joseph Fitzmyer, Benjamin Mazar, P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., James F. Strange and Emanuel Tov—to name a few.

You may have read about us in such publications as Time, People or The New York Times, or seen us featuredby CNN, PBS or the Discovery Channel. Our goal has been to make entire swaths of ancient history accessible to the general public.

Biblical Archaeological Discoveries at Your Fingertips

There are countless archaeology and Bible resources in the BAS Library. With your subscription, you will experience the thrill of discovery with the archaeologists themselves. You will also be able to delve into the authenticity of finds as we continue to play a role in gathering leading scholars from all over the world to assess well-known artifacts and new finds that may be labeled as forgeries.

The BAS Library presents Biblical archaeology controversies along with ancient highlights. The recently concluded “Forgery Trial of the Century” investigated the authenticity of several high-profile Biblical artifacts including an ossuary (bone box) inscribed “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” BAR was the first publication to announce the discovery of the ossuary and also supported the ultimately prevailing view that the archaeological evidence did not show forgery.

Archaeology is continually refining modern understandings of the ancient world and Biblical figures. Ancient inscriptions have been found that refer to Biblical figures once considered legendary by the scholarly community.

Our feature stories have reshaped our understanding of the earliest kingdom of Israel. For example, the recently uncovered Qeiyafa Ostracon may refer to Saul’s appointment as the first king of Israel, and excavations at Beth Shean show us where the Philistines hung his body.

Some examples of what you’ll find in the BAS Library:

Journey with Paul and the other Apostles as they spread Christianity and confront such questions as the role of Jewish law and customs for new converts and other theological issues for Jews and Christians that persist to this day.

Explore the archaeological evidence supporting the historicity of the Bible and learn about the claims of the “Biblical minimalists” that the Bible is worthless as a source of history. They say it’s fiction, written 1,000 years or more after the events it describes.

Relive one of the most exciting archaeological events of the 20th century—the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in caves near Qumran. They have continued to fascinate scholars and historians for over 60 years.

Stumble upon a handful of painted fragments of pottery in the Sinai desert. These pottery sherds from Kuntillet ’Ajrud are now regarded as one of the most interesting Biblical archaeology findings, a discovery that altered our perception of the early Israelite religion.

Recreate the excitement surrounding the famous Nag Hammadi Library, which came to the world’s attention when two peasants discovered a 13-volume library of texts hidden beneath a large boulder in Egypt.

Discover an inscribed stone within a newly excavated wall in Israel. The writing on the stone contains the first historical evidence of King David outside the Bible, qualifying it as one of the most valuable Biblical archaeology findings.

Decipher a hieroglyphic inscription found at Thebes of a Pharaoh mentioning a people called Israel living in the highlands of Canaan more than 3,200 years ago.

Uncover a typical Israelite house from the time of the Exodus in Egypt.

The BAS Library offers many routes into the ancient world

Learn from archaeologists, Biblical scholars and historians through magazine articles, video lectures and full digital books in the BAS Library, the most comprehensive online collection of Biblical archaeology resources. Dig into our inexhaustible archive of articles on the Bible and ancient world.

The BAS Library includes full access to every issue of every magazine ever published by the Biblical Archaeology Society—Biblical Archaeology Review, Bible Review and Archaeology Odyssey—plus special collections of articles and four books published in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution.

For only $5 extra, get a one-year print subscription (6 issues) and the tablet edition of Biblical Archaeology Review.

BAS Library Subscribers

The BAS Library covers archaeological insights and discoveries in the lands of the Bible, presenting finds in a scientific, nondenominational style and theories in an accessible and approachable fashion. Our diverse readers are fascinated with historical records and the Bible as a literary, historical and religious text.

Our library brings our best features into the hands of our enthusiastic readers eager to explore the ancient world using the Internet.

Subscribe Now to the BAS Library

Subscribe Now and begin mining over 40 years of archaeology and Bible resources from the Biblical Archaeology Societyanytime, any place—all at the special discounted price of only $29.97.

I look forward to helping you dig deeper!

Hershel Shanks
Editor

Join the BAS Library—the most comprehensive and easy-to-use online resource for Biblical archaeology.

The BAS Library provides access to our extensive repository, covering over 40 years of leading scholarship from Biblical Archaeology Review (1975–present), Bible Review (1985–2005) and Archaeology Odyssey (1998–2006), as well as video, books, special collections and savings on BAS products.

Step into the Biblical Past

Join the BAS Library—the most comprehensive and easy-to-use online resource for Biblical archaeology.

Browse or search 7,000+ articles from over 40 years of Biblical Archaeology Review (1975 to present), 20 years of Bible Review (1985 to 2005 complete) and 8 years of Archaeology Odyssey (1998 to 2006 complete).

BAR is one of my most important “friends,” [though] there are often articles with which I disagree.

— Pastor Joseph E. Mason, Jr.

Travel the ancient world in the BAS Library. Learn about the latest discoveries and get a new perspective with full-color photographs illuminating the study of the Bible and the birth of Judaism and Christianity.

Articles follow the major issues in the field—from the historical reliability of the Bible to the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls—and are written by the world’s greatest archaeologists, most distinguished scholars, leading researchers and world-renowned experts.

Proverbs 27:17 says “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another,” this is how I view
your fantastic publication.

— Wes Mason

Our flagship magazine, Biblical Archaeology Review (BAR), is unique in providing information about the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience eager to better understand the world of the Bible. Covering both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament since 1975, BARis the world’s leading Biblical Archaeology magazine.

Written by top archaeologists and scholars, BAR illuminates the Biblical text, answering—and asking—new questions in each issue. No wonder each lavishly illustrated, easy-to-understand issue is read by more than a quarter-million people!

A magazine that is Biblical archaeology’s
most important outlet!

— Helmut Koester, Former President of the Society of Biblical Literature

A magazine of Biblical insights and exquisite art, Bible Review gave the popular reader first-rate, reader-friendly Biblical scholarship for more than 20 years. BR covered both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, illuminating the text with the latest insights of modern Biblical research. A nondenominational magazine, BR aired a wide range of issues and viewpoints. Each magazine was beautifully illustrated with masterful artwork and scenes from the Bible lands.

For eight years Archaeology Odyssey led readers on a colorful, exciting and informative journey to the ancient roots of the Western world. AO appealed to readers’ sense of beauty, to their feelings of wonderment, to their longing for adventure and travel—and to their conviction that the past has many stories yet to tell.